


Thunder and Lightning

by devilinthedetails



Category: PIERCE Tamora - Works, Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Fencing lessons, Gen, Knight and Squire - Freeform, Threats, imitation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-22 06:01:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16592201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/devilinthedetails/pseuds/devilinthedetails
Summary: Alex loses patience with Geoffrey during a fencing lesson.





	Thunder and Lightning

Thunder and Lightning

Alex’s sword was swift as lightning as it swung toward Geoffrey’s chest, and Geoffrey’s blade, as ever, was a roll of thunder just an instant too slow behind it. Frustrated to the brink of tears by his inability to block Alex’s attacks, Geoffrey unleashed the most impressive swear words he knew because cursing was more dignified than crying. At least it was with everyone except his impassive knightmaster, who regarded all displays of emotion as weaknesses. 

“Don’t curse.” Alex paced like a wildcat, circling Geoffrey with an upraised weapon that signaled his intent to attack Geoffrey as soon as Geoffrey gave him an opening. “Focus on blocking.” 

Geoffrey’s sword lost itself in tracking Alex’s, and in an eye blink, Alex’s blade had penetrated Geoffrey’s guard, pressing against his heaving chest in a steel kiss that could be felt through the sweaty cotton of Geoffrey’s shirt. 

“You have to be faster with blocking, boy.” Alex was—whether he knew it or not—imitating Duke Gareth as he always did during their fencing lessons. 

That shouldn’t have surprised Geoffrey since Alex had, after all, spent years waking at dawn for sword training with the King’s Champion. Still there were times it caught Geoffrey with his guard down because he wasn’t like Alex or Alan, who could absorb Duke Gareth’s harshest words as motivation to fight harder. Harsh words always made him retreat inside himself. He had only ever striven to be a good enough swordsman to deflect Sklaw’s most scathing criticisms. He didn’t have the hunger to be the best as Alex and Alan did, though he hadn’t noticed that until he became Alex’s squire and realized that the flame of Alex’s ambition could never be banked since it was fueled with a fear of failure that could never burn out…

He was so distracted by his thoughts that he didn’t even see Alex’s sword dart toward his chest until it had almost landed, resulting in a slower, clumsier attempt at a parry that caused Alex to snap, “Block my next stroke, or I swear by Mithros I’ll carve you like a Midwinter goose.” 

“You stole that threat from Duke Gareth.” Geoffrey dropped his weapon to the practice court in a puff of dust and dirt before he was aware of what his fingers were doing. He remembered wincing—as if the admonition had been meant for him—when he stood in the courtyard crowded with pages, watching a daybreak duel between Duke Gareth and Alex. If Alex had been hurt by this cutting reprimand, he hadn’t shown it—because Geoffrey was learning that Alex always tucked any pain he felt deep inside where none could detect it—when he deftly deflected Duke Gareth’s next quick strokes.

“Yes.” Alex lowered his blade and stared at Geoffrey with eyes that seemed unable to fathom Geoffrey’s abrupt outburst. “I don’t mean it any more than he did, Geoff.” 

“How do you know he didn’t mean it, sir?” Geoffrey flushed. He was abashed by his tantrum and by the fact that, unlike Alex and Alan, he couldn’t distinguish the twitches in face and tone that indicated when Duke Gareth was tartly teasing and strictly serious. His father had never issued a warning without following through on it—insisting that to waver in any promise was an unpardonable weakness— so Geoffrey instinctively assumed that all imposing men did the same. 

“Because he never carved me like a Midwinter goose, did he?” Alex’s wry smile was blade thin. “Words are thunder, squire. Swords are lightning. Don’t listen to the thunder but always watch the lightning. It’s the lightning that will kill you, not the thunder.” 

“Yes, sir.” Geoffrey nodded obediently even though he doubted he would ever be able to ignore the thunder when it rumbled in his ears. 

“Pick up your sword and clean it before you return it to your scabbard.” Alex pointed at the weapon Geoffrey had dropped so unceremoniously, and Geoffrey didn’t know whether he was being punished or shown mercy by his inscrutable knightmaster. “This lesson is over. You’ve learned enough for today.” 

“Yes, sir.” Geoffrey bent to retrieve his sword, knowing that Alex, who was striding away across the courtyard, wouldn’t hear his answer, but he supposed that wouldn’t matter to his knightmaster who thought words were merely thunder while flickering silver swords were lightning.


End file.
